By Yunus S Saliu
The proprietor of the Aba’s Aqua-Poultry Farm in Barra, North Bank Region has stretched out his appeal hands for assistance from general public, individual and philanthropists to assist him in kind and financially to reconstruct its fallen aqua poultry farm brought down by the recent rainstorm in the region.
Aba Hydara who did not make any sales from the farm since constructed in 2016 has narrated that the project was initially funded by the IFAD and executed by the Livestock and Horticultural Development Project (LHDP) while his counterpart contribution was the land measuring 50 x 50 and the construction of the cottage.
According to him, the aqua-poultry located in Tanbunyul near abattoir in Barra is meant to encourage backyard farming system and motivate local women around the riverine or ‘bolong’ area to know the importance of this natural endowment around them.
For this type of project, the funder targeted five areas which among are Bwiam, Mayamba, Kanuma Ba and others. “I have membership of over twenty people – 11 women, and the rest are 13 young boys whom are backway returnees. Here at Aba’s Aqua-Poultry Farm, the concentration is on chicken, shrimps/prawns locally called ‘sipa sipa;’ tilapia, mullet farming,” he explained.
Also, he added, that there is possibility of oyster farming whereby string method can be used instead of mangroves.
However, the cottage of the aqua-poultry was brought down “by the recent rainstorm and I hereby solicit for assistance either in kind or financially from everyone, philanthropists, NGOs so that we can reconstruct the cottage of the poultry. We need strong pillars for the cottage the previous pillars got weakened overtimes because of the saline, wetness among other things,”
Mr Hydara, further called for so that the initiative will not die down saying it is s good way of ensuring food safety and as well promote backyard farming in the riverine communities.